quicker than a mosquito bite starting to itch

I think it’s safe to say that summer 2014 is finally coming to a close. My kid has been in 7th grade for a few weeks and today the weather had that familiar cool crispness to it. I was initially a little sad to see summer go. We had a hectic-at-times summer but a good one. (Highlights are behind the “Read more” via photo essay.)

I’ve been busy with work/tired from being busy with work. I’ve never been comfortable posting too much about my job (any job) but I’m involved in some Big Things. This is simultaneously enthralling (“I’ve always wanted to be involved in Big Things!”) and terrifying. After particularly stressful days, I find myself thinking/saying things like, “I just want to go be a sister wife somewhere and take care of babies and make jam.” I feel terrible about this. For one, it’s not like that line of work is easier. (Plus, I would manage to turn it into The Most High Stakes Sister-Wifeing Ever We’re All Gonna Die Fail Which Is Worse I Don’t Know.) Also, I’ve never even made jam so I have no idea if this would even be a viable option.

The husband has been busy with music. His group, Pittsburgh Track Authority, has been doing really well, along with other related projects that he’s involved with/heading up. They’ve been getting a lot of press coverage, locally and nationally, and they’ve been DJing all over the place. It’s all very exciting.

The kid has been busy hanging out with friends, hanging out with grandparents, etc. I was upset the last week or so of summer vacation because I felt like I had barely seen him and it’s not like he’s going to be looking to spend less time with friends and more time with me as he gets older. I’ve been pushing our Great Race training because it’s 40 or so minutes that are just for us. It’s just unfortunate that we spend them huffing and puffing and figuring out how to avoid running up this one horrible hill by our house.

This was all kind of exacerbated when we went to see Boyhood a few weeks ago, which I loved. Richard Linklater gets a pass from me on certain aspects of movies that would otherwise bother me. I don’t know. He does the meandering-thoughts-and-experiences-of-not-extraordinary-people thing so well. It was very striking to watch a story unfold over time with the same people, especially, of course, the boy at the center of it.

My kid is still very much a kid, but he’s really looking forward to growing up and experiencing all of the failures and successes of becoming an adult. I get that and I don’t immediately tell him to just enjoy being a kid, “because being an adult is so much harder.” I don’t really believe that. Being a kid is easier only in mechanical ways that mostly have to do with money and being a candidate for blame. He seems to really be looking forward to the experiences that he’ll have, though I’ve cautioned him not to set his expectations too high. Parties and whatnot are never as epic as they are in the movies. “You’ll have fun, I promise,” I tell him. “But nobody has the time or energy for a drunken odyssey.”

May

I imagine the “my lovely lady lumps” joke has been made a million times in such situations, but here I am making it again. I have some lump action happening that, so far, everyone agrees is nothing. But I got to experience having a mammogram and a biopsy back in May. I have a follow-up mammogram in October.

New friend: Waajeed. He visited Pittsburgh from Detroit to play records at Round Corner Cantina. We took him for his obligatory Primanti’s, which he loved. He’s hilarious and fun and a great DJ and producer.

We went to DC and got to tour the White House! It was so cool.

While at the White House, the kid got to shake hands, so to speak, with some members of the First Family.

Our main purpose for the trip to DC was to see the sister-in-law graduate from Georgetown with her Master’s degree. So proud of her! And Georgetown is very pretty.

Madeleine Albright walked past me and I was totally cool about it.

We also got to tour the Washington Monument. We were obviously all enthralled.

New friend: DJ Clent (r). We were in Detroit for the festival that we go to every year. He showed up to the club where PTA were playing with a large crew of intoxicated people. Easily one of the goofier conversations I participated in this year.

A good portion of the Pittsburgh contingent who made the trek to Detroit. We always have so much fun despite the fact that we’re all old now.

The kid finished up some breakdancing lessons that he had been taking with local phenom Kid Cuba. He has some skills!

June

We got to sit in the first row at the Eddie Izzard show. Love him!

The kid and I followed up on my summer resolutions to regain some of the active lifestyle that had fallen by the wayside while adjusting to my new job/schedule.

The kid crossed an item off of his bucket list and got to be on the big screen at a sporting event.

The kid’s baseball team won their Little League championship!

July

4th of July, fireworks, freedom, ‘Murrica, etc.

Got to see Maxwell from the second row. Really trying to sort out some polyandry at some point.

We went to Kennywood. Had a blast. Obviously.

I went to yoga in the park in my neighborhood. I only made it to this once, but I liked it and managed to not get sunburned!

The whole fam damily went to Conneaut. It was a little weird without Pap but the kid and his 6,385 cousins had a blast together, as usual.

We still prefer a more urban environment, though.

August

Citiparks swim meet!

We went to Idlewild and the kid displayed how close he is to being a teenager by saying, “Uggghhhh this is so stupid,” every five feet in Storybook Forest.

At Idlewild, the husband won me a stuffed animal and we took a romantic ride on the Balloon Race. He pisses me off sometimes but I think I like him.

New friend: Jay Simon. He came to Pittsburgh from DC to play records at Hot Mass. Great DJ and a fun guy.

We made it to a few Pirates games. I love baseball and it’s so fun to watch the Pirates play now. Of course, on this night they completely borked it up and lost spectacularly. Oh, well.

Pittsburgh is pretty

My kid is a seventh grader. I don’t understand.

I’m still baking and beating my terrible kitchen into submission. I made a lemon meringue pie for Labor Day. It was my first time making it and it was sooooo good omfg.